From the Corner of Ottery St Catchpole
by thePhonyOversized
Summary: "And at that moment, we weren't adults lost in the world. We were children, who played, who answered back, who goofed off instead of working. Children who, no matter how far we've gone, always found our way back home." A three-shot about how James and Albus helped each other go through the biggest ordeal of their lives: growing up.
1. Going

"There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in." - Graham Greene

* * *

_**Going**_

Albus Potter was asleep, his head lolling up and down with the movements of the train as he leaned against the window. He was dreaming about the place he'd left just that morning – Hogwarts. He smiled as he walked through the ancient corridors, hearing the sound of his footsteps as it echoed off the walls. He greeted several of the Hogwarts ghosts, made sure to duck when Peeves had flung a dungbomb at him, and beamed as the bricks in the wall rearranged to let him in.

He took in the majesty of the Slytherin common room, with its green-and-silver themed furniture, and its crackling fireplace that seemed to provide warmth to more than just the room. When he had first been sorted into Slytherin, he hated the eerie and sinister shivers he got when he spent too much time in the common room. As the years passed, and when he began to abandon the initial prejudices he held against the Slytherins, his love for the house had grown stupendously – save for certain pureblood fanaticisms and those few extremely hateable people, of course, and not to mention his constant annoyance at Professor Slughorn.

He sat down on the sofa facing the fire, letting the familiarity and comfort of the whole scene engulf him. During his Seventh Year, after being appointed as Head Boy, he was provided a private common room to share with the Head Girl, but he still often found himself lounging about in this common room more than his own. He liked to take naps in between classes, and despite the silence of his own common room, the solitude did not relax him. He found it was easier to sleep surrounded by the noise and havoc of all his fellow students.

He stared into the depths of the fire as he let his thoughts wander, the green-tinged flames lapping at the edges of his vision. Leaning back on the sofa, he felt his eyes begin to close. He forced them open, but as his eyelids drooped more frequently, he just let them. The common room smothered him with sounds only it could provide - the distant giggles of the students, the sound of the quills on parchment, the frantic flipping of book pages, and the occasional boom of an Exploding Snap game. Before he was even aware of it, Albus was falling asleep.

Upon waking up, he was surprised to find himself on the Hogwarts Express. Wasn't he just in the common room? And then the realization dawned on him. He sighed. _It was all just a dream_, he thought. He felt his heart drop as reality caught up to him. He had graduated Seventh Year, and was going back home, never to return to Hogwarts ever again. Albus stared at the distance, trying, however failing, to bring back the memories of the warmth, comfort, and security he felt just moments ago when he dreamed of the place he was so longing to be back in.

He listened to the clanging of the wheels on the tracks, his cheek squished on the glass, causing his entire face to vibrate from the train's movements. He remained there for a few more moments, as silent as a church mouse, and so immersed in the sea of his own thoughts he was practically drowning in it. His reverie was only broken when he heard the wheels of the food trolley squeaking by the compartment.

He whipped his head around, suddenly craving all the sweets he could devour in order to drown out his sadness and, Merlin forbid, '_school-sickness.'_

"Oh, Al," Rose Weasley exclaimed from beside Albus, surprised by his sudden movements. Her flaming red hair whipped Scorpius Malfoy, who was seated beside her, as she turned to Albus. The Head Girl badge gleaming on her chest clanged with her movements. "I didn't know you were awake."

Albus did not seem to take any notice of her, however, and focused his attention on the trolley containing all the guilty pleasures a wizard could ever need to mend a broken heart, or be rid of all their woes and troubles.

"A bit of everything please," Albus called out to the familiar plump witch who manned the trolley. "As much as I can get for eleven sickles," he added. He stood up and handed the witch payment in exchange for the superfluous amount of desserts he just purchased.

He sat back down on his spot beside the window, contented with the giant bag of sweets now plumped on his lap. Able to differentiate the different varieties as he reached into the bag, he settled for a Chocolate Frog as his first confectionary expedition. As soon as he had opened the box, the chocolate frog leaped out in attempted freedom. He caught it and shoved it in his mouth. Chewing victoriously, he flipped over the card, hoping he would get the Babayaga or another rare one he's never gotten before, so he would be another card closer to completing his collection.

"Harry Potter," he sighed as he stared down at the smiling face of his father. Albus had gotten his father countless times, and he still couldn't get used to the fact that he had his own Chocolate Frog card. In fact, it took him years to absorb the gravity of his father's accomplishment for, not only the wizarding world, but the _entire_ world as well – with all the Muggles in between. It was a lot to take in, after all.

"It's all right, Al," Lysander Scamander, who was seated across him, said. Albus guessed he hadn't been as successful capturing his own frog, seeing as there was a giant splat of chocolate smudged all around his side of the window. He had bits of chocolate chunks tangled in his mop of strawberry-blonde curls, and spots scattered all over his robes and Gryffindor tie.

Lysander flipped his card around, and Albus had spotted Lysander's great-grandfather, Newt Scamander, before he disappeared beyond the borders of the card. "This bloke haunts me wherever I go, too. And, mind you, I've seen his ghost a few times at Hogwarts as well." Lysander shivered at the memory. "Bloody ghost passed through me on purpose! S'pose he wasn't too happy with my performance during Care of Magical Creatures."

"Well, I reckon it's pretty ironic that he, having written that book all about magical creatures in the first place, has a grandson that can't tell the difference between a Griffin and a Hippogriff," Albus teased.

"You don't need to be able to tell which-is-which to know when you ought to run or not," Lysander reasoned. "When I see something that looks like it could swallow me whole, I'm fleeing for my life."

"You, mate, will die by the many tiny hands of a hoard of pixies." Albus clamped Lysander's shoulder, already imagining his friend being abducted by the mischievous little felons.

"Oh, sod off," Lysander shrugged Albus' hand away.

"You know you've hit the bull's-eye when he tells you to sod off," Zachary Goyle, who was seated beside Lysander, told Albus in a very loud voice, quirking his bristly eyebrows – one of the only things he had in common with his father - mischievously. His Ravenclaw tie was loose around his neck.

"Shut up, Goyle. I may not be in Ravenclaw, but I'm not stupid, or deaf." Lysander elbowed him in the ribs.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't exploit every opportunity to mention I was a Ravenclaw."

"Sorry, mate." Lysander slung an arm around Zachary's shoulders. "Four years of friendship and I _still_ can't believe you were in Ravenclaw."

"Just because I've the name 'Goyle' does _not_ mean I automatically have to be in Slytherin," Zachary rebuked. "Haven't you ever heard of anomalies?"

"No, I can't say that I have," Lysander deadpanned.

"An 'anomaly' refers to something that deviates from normality," Rose explained.

"Oh, then, you _are_ an 'a-none-marly,' Zach." Lysander chuckled. "You're in Ravenclaw, you've got a mother from Beauxbatons, you're abnormally intelligent, and you've only gone to detention about three times in your entire life, for almost the same reason every time."

Apparently, both of Zachary's parents weren't very bright. Albus supposed Zachary was living proof that two negatives did indeed create a positive sometimes.

"Well _I've_ never gotten a detention," Rose said.

Albus waved his hand dismissively towards Rose, ignoring her remark. "Codswallop. Zach was only trying to defend his family's honour. I'd've done the same thing, had it been me."

Zachary shrugged. "They're only jealous since my dad's got a wife like my mum. Reckon those beasts couldn't land a beauty if they _Imperio_'d her."

"That's the spirit, Zachy-boy!" Lysander slapped Zachary in what he thought was an affectionate manner.

"You know, I've gotten more bruises from you than anywhere else," Zach exclaimed.

Lysander shrugged. "I guess I'm just an 'a-none-marly' that way."

"Ly, you're definitely an anomaly," Albus lightly hit Lysander's shoulder. "Even if you don't know how to use the word correctly."

"Sod off, Potter!" Lysander stuck his tongue out at Albus.

"Bull's-eye!" Zachary and Albus shouted at the same time.

The whole compartment, sans Lysander, guffawed with laughter.

Albus was going to miss these nutters immensely.

"How long have we got till we reach King's Cross?" Albus asked.

"About an hour-and-a-half," Rose replied.

"Already? Bloody hell, I feel like we just left Hogsmeade!" Albus exclaimed.

"You were asleep for quite a while, mate," Scorpius said.

"I didn't realize I was asleep _that_ long."

"Well, when you're asleep, you don't really notice how long you've been asleep," Zachary pointed out.

"Bloody Ravenclaw," Lysander teased.

"On the contrary, not only Ravenclaws can use their common sense," Zachary said matter-of-factly, and clearly annoyed that Lysander, despite him telling him otherwise, still persisted in pointing out he was in Ravenclaw.

"Zach's right. Rachel Pontner's in Ravenclaw, but I reckon she's no good with anything beyond her precious book collection," Scorpius remarked. "If somebody told her the best place to buy, let's say . . . essence of bowtruckle or something, was in Knockturn Alley, she'd floo right over there if her books didn't say anything against it."

"I heard she was a mug too," Albus added. "Would snog anyone who'd ask her, apparently."

"Al, _please_ don't tell me you know this _because_ you've had a go at her," Rose admonished.

"Rosie, please!" Albus exclaimed. "I've got values!"

"Besides, our little Albykins wouldn't waste his time on a cow like that," Scorpius wiggled his eyebrows roguishly. "He's got tons of better options."

"Watch it, Malfoy!" Rose smacked Scorpius' knee. Scorpius smiled apologetically and pulled her into a hug.

Albus was torn between disgust at their public display of affection, letting his familial protectiveness kick in and break them apart, and contentment since they both looked so happy. They got together somewhere near the end of Sixth Year, and yet Albus still couldn't believe it. It took him a year to say they were 'going-out,' and a few more months to begin acknowledging the fact. She was his cousin, and he was stubborn – even if Scorpius _was_ the first Slytherin to befriend him.

"Oh, have any of you seen Eliora Smith?" Lysander asked, and Albus was grateful for the distraction. He could only bear looking at the couple for so long.

"The Hufflepuff with the blonde hair and extremely short skirt?" Albus asked.

"That's the one! You know, I heard from Lorcan that she's amazing at –" Lysander was practically salivating when Rose interrupted him.

"That's enough," she berated. "I refuse to let you talk about girls like that. It's extremely degrading! Not to mention _very_ insulting in so many levels –" Rose ranted, but Lysander had interrupted her this time.

"Merlin Scorp, your girlfriend's no fun! No fun at all!" Lysander teased.

Scorpius shrugged.

Albus guffawed at Scorpius' reaction. "'Course Scorp won't say anything about it," Albus commented. "If he says one wrong thing, Rosie's gonna dump his sorry arse."

"She'd probably chuck him off the train, too," Zachary added.

"Or just hex him till he's inside-out," Lysander chuckled.

"You're all such great friends," Scorpius deadpanned.

The sound of laughter was broken by a sudden shout of "POTTER" and the compartment doors sliding open.

"Oh, Caitlyn! I thought I heard your lovely voice," Albus winked.

Caitlyn Wood, who used to be the neurotic Gryffindor Quidditch Captain before graduation, bounded into the room and took a seat in between Rose and Albus.

"Go ahead, sit there, because there's _so_ much more space here than the other seat, which only has two people on it," Albus said, his voice oozing sarcasm.

She rolled her eyes and glared at him. Her messy brown hair – which, in Albus' opinion, was as out of control as its owner – was slipping out of its ponytail. She, like Rose and Albus, was still wearing her positional badge.

"So what brings you here to our compartment anyhow?" Albus asked.

"James," she breathed.

"No, I'm Albus," Albus deadpanned. "Merlin, Caitlyn, we've been friends for _years_ and you _still_ mistake me for my brother?" Albus said, mock-hurt.

"First of all, I have _never_ mistaken you for James," Caitlyn shoved a finger at Albus' face. "Second, I was trying to tell you that James got in the team."

"Mental-cow-say-what?" Albus blurted.

Caitlyn smacked Albus upright the head before repeating herself. "Jacob Simmons left. Took one bludger too many and now he can't play."

"And you're happy about that _why_? That's awful!" Albus exclaimed.

Caitlyn smacked him again. "No, you wanker! Because Simmons is out-of-commission, that means the Lead Chaser of the reserve team got promoted."

"And? What's that got to do with me?"

Caitlyn rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Zach," Lysander turned to the boy beside him. "Isn't James Potter on the Appleby Arrows reserve team?"

"Bloody hell! I do believe you're right!" Zach feigned surprise. "Didn't they sign him a few months after he graduated from Hogwarts?"

"Right you are, mate. One of the best players in the _reserve team_ apparently. I reckon he'd be a great new _addition_ to the _main team_." Lysander spoke louder, as if Albus couldn't already hear him.

Albus was wide-eyed, and his jaw dropped open. "Merlin's beard! James is on the team! He's playing for the Appleby Arrows!" Albus jumped out of his seat in excitement. "Cate, how'd you find out?"

Caitlyn took out a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ from her robes' pocket and handed it to Albus. "Just came out today. Headline of the sports section."

"That prat never told me!" Albus said as his eyes skimmed through the article entitled, 'JAMES POTTER: ZOOMING PAST EXPECTATIONS.' Above the article, there was a picture of Albus' older brother, James, chucking a quaffle into the hoops.

"_James Potter, eldest son of Auror Harry Potter and former Holyhead Harpy Ginny Weasley, makes his debut into the world of professional Quidditch as a hero. He had unexpectedly been put into the team's main line-up in the middle of the Arrows' game versus the Tutshill Tornadoes after Simmons was knocked out by a bludger and forced into early retirement. Despite the unexpected turn of events, he scored three goals, putting the Arrows in the lead 130-100. The Arrows had come out victorious, with a whopping 350-120, putting them in the top four to win in this year's Quidditch Finals._

_When asked how he felt about all of this, Potter simply replied with, "I still can't believe it. I've always loved Quidditch. I was Captain of the Gryffindor team up till I graduated, but nothing could have fully prepared me for the thrill and vigour of playing professionally."_

_Needless to say, we've got great things to expect from this young Potter."_

"Bloody hell." Albus plumped back down on the seat. He was holding on to the newspaper tightly, as if afraid it would just disappear. "_Bloody hell_," Albus repeated, at a loss for better words to say.

"It's so early in his career, but people have already been saying he'll be the next Captain after Alrick Chetwood," Caitlyn said, trying to coax words other than 'bloody hell' out of Albus' mouth.

"I thought Wallaby Gascoigne was next-in-line?" Albus breathed.

"Until James came into the picture," Caitlyn informed him.

"Gascoigne won't be too happy about that."

"But _you're_ happy about it?"

"Bloody ecstatic," Albus broke into a grin a mile wide.

The wheels creaked in the distance as the train pulled to a stop, and before they all knew it, they were at King's Cross.

"Bugger, we're here," Albus cursed.

"It's time to get lives," Zachary sighed as he stood up.

"Merlin's beard," Lysander muttered. "Promise me you'll all go to my funeral. I don't think I've got long once we step out of this train."

"Honestly, you're all so melodramatic." Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "Once we step out of this train, we're officially full-fledged members of the wizarding community."

"If that's supposed to assure us in any way, it's not working," Scorpius said, looking anxious. He and his father were going to have a talk about his future when he got back home. Scorpius was under the impression the talk would be comprised of his father stating that he had already found people from the Ministry and whatnot who were more than willing to take him in, and he simply had to choose which one he preferred, something Scorpius wasn't too thrilled about.

"All I'm trying to say is," Caitlyn turned around, a step away from the doorway. "It's just another adventure," she grinned before marching off.

"There she goes," Albus said. "She, who's only self-assured because her bloody dad is Oliver Wood, and he just needs to say one word to get all the teams chasing after her."

"Well, if I remember correctly," Lysander patted Albus' shoulder. "_Your_ dad's Harry Potter and _he_ saved the world." He smirked before hoisting his trunk from the compartment and made his way out.

Zachary followed suit, making sure to simper at Albus on his way out.

"You make it sound like I have it easy," he muttered. He said his goodbyes to Rose and Scorpius as he grabbed his own trunk and wobbled through the narrow corridors that would be missed as soon as he left. This was the last time he'd ever be on the Hogwarts Express, and he was not looking forward to leaving it at all.

Evidently, he wasn't looking forward to _leaving_ at all. Change was too big a feat; one he felt he could not manage.

Despite having done it for the past seven years, stepping out of the train felt different to Albus. He usually felt excited – both about going back home, and looking forward to going back to Hogwarts the following year. Now, Albus found himself walking out of the Hogwarts Express, only going home, and about embark on a journey he felt ill prepared for.

He plunked his trunk beside him a fair distance from the train, and turned to take one last look at the monorail that had taken him to both the beginning and end of his first wizarding journey.

"Albus!" he flipped around and saw Lysander making his way towards him. He smiled as his best friend broke into a sprint and tackled him into a hug.

"Promise me something, Al," Lysander said as they broke apart. "Slap me if I ever get a mindless Ministry job."

"I'll slap you so hard I'll knock your brain outta your noggin." Albus lightly hit Lysander's head. "I'll prolly see you in a few days."

Lysander guffawed. "I'll owl you." He waved his goodbyes.

Albus spotted Zachary in the distance. He was sandwiched in between his stocky father and petite mother, who seemed to be either very deep in conversation, or having quite a heated argument. Could've been both. Zachary noticed Albus waving and managed to do the same before his parents dragged him out of the station.

As he turned, he was tackled into yet another hug, this time by Caitlyn. She whispered into his ear amidst their embrace. "You better score me some amazing tickets for the Cup this year."

"I can't make any promises." Albus teased as he hugged her back.

"Your brother's an Arrow!"

"Your father's in Puddlemere."

"Touché." Caitlyn laughed. "We're such users, aren't we?"

"Nope, just making good use of our resources."

"Al, I'm scared," Caitlyn whispred almost inaudibly.

"Don't be," he said, despite remembering the fears gnawing at him a while back. "You said so yourself – just treat it like an adventure."

"I've always had trouble following my own advice," she laughed as they broke apart.

"Your own plays too," Albus added.

"I dare you to say that again," Caitlyn threatened, however unsuccessfully as a smile was playing her lips.

"Say what again?" Albus stuck his tongue out. "See you at the Cup, Wood."

"It's Peru versus England next week," Caitlyn blurted, as if she just remembered. "I'll send you an owl!" she shouted before running off.

"She's a keeper." A familiar voice chortled as Albus felt a hand squeeze his shoulder.

"I sincerely hope you're talking about what position she plays." He turned his head and looked at his brother, James Potter, who was grinning knowingly at him. He was wearing a light-blue collared shirt with a giant white arrow containing 'THE APPLEBY ARROWS' in block letters streaked across. "You're a foul git, d'you know that?"

"It's nice to see you too, Al," James grinned.

"Why didn't you tell me you got on the team?" Albus shouted.

"How'd you find out?" James feigned surprise.

"News travels fast," Albus said. "You didn't even tell me the Arrows won yesterday's game! You promised you'd owl me for at least one of those reasons!"

"Relax, Albus," James lifted his hands in mock-surrender. "I wanted to tell you personally."

"Honestly," Albus whined. "Next you'll skip out on telling me you're playing for England."

"That's the plan." James winked.

"Why're you here anyway? And where're Mum and Dad?"

"Mum and Dad're home preparing something special for you and Rosie. Double graduation equals double celebration, after all," he mused. "I expect the whole family's going."

"Just when I thought I could mope in peace," Albus said sarcastically.

"Where's Lily?" James asked. "She owled me a few days back telling me, well, _ordering_ me to be here, otherwise she'd hex me."

"And you were afraid? She's not even of-age yet." Albus chuckled.

James shrugged. "I would've come anyway. I would _never_ pass on the chance to scare you about life choices and whatnot, Alby."

"I was totally wrong about you being a foul git, James," Albus deadpanned. "'Foul git' is an understatement."

James trapped Albus in a headlock and grinded his knuckles on Albus' head. They both froze, however, when they heard the distant shouts of several teenage girls and stampeding footsteps approaching them. Looking up, the reason for Lily's demand dawned on them.

"Bloody hell." James' jaw dropped as the crowd of girls surrounded him, asking him to sign their copy of _Witch Weekly_ – which had James, with his signature knee-jerking smile on his face, gleaming on the cover, as well as several copies of James' _Daily Prophet_ article, and other ridiculous miscellaneous items – one asked James to sign her forehead.

"Next time, I bet they'll have your face on shirts," Albus pointed out, clearly amused.

"Har-har," James scoffed. "I feel so used," he whispered to Albus as he finished signing the remaining girl's Appleby Arrows wristband.

"Speaking of which –"

"I got the tickets," James intercepted. "An award for making the team."

"Seats?"

"Fourth row." James smiled. "Congratulations on graduating, Al."

"Thank you!" Albus attacked James with a hug before he commenced his victory dance.

Once they had collected Lily, who was bombarded by James' neurotic fan-girls, they had Disapparated. By a miscalculation, they found themselves sloshing in the muddy waters of the tiny swamp a little ways from the Burrow.

"Nan's going to freak," Albus said, looking down at his robes, which were growing muddier and muddier with each step.

"This beats having to deal with those awful girls," Lily blustered. "They wouldn't stop nagging me about James the whole year!" She stomped angrily, splashing mud all over her and Albus, who was struggling behind her.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it!" James shouted from behind Albus.

They had finally reached the front steps of the old rickety house where they spent countless days as children and less but slightly frequent visits during their adolescence, noticeably muddying up the polished wood their grandmother obsessively tried to keep clean. Albus watched as the mud bubbled beneath his steps, already imaging his Nan having a fit at the filthy state of them, _and_ her house.

Lily banged her hand on the door, the mud splattering from her hands, to the door, and on her face. Luckily, it was Roxanne who had answered the door, and not Grandma Molly.

"What –" Roxanne sputtered, but Lily pushed through her.

"Mis-Apparated, I guess you could say," Albus told her with a shrug as he followed Lily inside.

James looked down at his Arrows shirt, crestfallen. It was probably new, and now it was newly flecked with mud, twigs, and other disgusting things only a swamp could easily provide.

"Welcome back –" Ginny stopped midsentence as she spotted the state of her children, as well as the pieces of furniture they had destroyed. "Did you Apparate into the swamp?" she asked, knowingly. Her children didn't even have to answer. It happened much too often. "I've told you all, countless times," she reprimanded her children as she flicked her wand and cleaned the mud right off them, as well as everywhere else. "When you Apparate, don't think 'don't land in the swamp' because, I promise you, that's where you'll end up."

"Sorry, Mum," the three muttered.

Ginny smiled. "Now, come on, you three. Dinner's been ready ages ago."

All Albus could think of when he entered the sitting room was, _Wow, James was right. The whole family _is_ here_. The old house looked the same as ever – barely holding on, yet not giving in any time soon. The furniture had been pushed aside, and the kitchen table – magically enlarged – was set in the middle. All Albus' cousins were scattered all over the table, their mouths already stuffed with the different assortments of food prepared especially for tonight. Albus took a seat in front of the giant roasted duck – his favourite. James sat next to him, looking much jollier now that their Mum had fixed them up and his shirt was squeaky-clean.

Harry and Ginny, along with all the other adults, were absorbed in retelling the tales of their own days at Hogwarts. They occasionally glanced at Albus, and he supposed it was whenever the subject of his future came up. They also made sure to look at James, probably discussing his new prospects as a budding professional Quidditch player.

Harry stood up, bearing a glass of Butterbeer and raising it up. "I would like to make a toast," he said. "To Albus and Rose for graduating, to James for becoming the newest addition to the Appleby Arrows – sorry, Ron, he's not a Cannon – and to the bright future you all have ahead of you!"

"Cheers!" everyone shouted before gulping down their own glasses of Butterbeer. Albus tried to drown himself in his glass. _Bright future my arse_, he thought. He had no idea what he wanted to do in life, how did that make his future bright?

Rose was decided on becoming an Arithmancer. She was enraptured by the magical properties centred on numbers, and was hell-bent on unravelling the many mysteries around them, especially the unlucky curses surrounding the number thirteen.

After his graduation, James had a wide variety of choices – he could've become a Healer, and he was invited to attend to join the Auror Academy as well. Evidently, he had chosen to continue playing Quidditch, signing with the Appleby Arrows reserve team almost immediately after finishing school. Ginny was ecstatic about it, having gone to play Quidditch after school as well. Harry, however, was a bit sceptic; he was not convinced that Quidditch was a viable career choice, especially in the long run. But look at where James was now. He had accomplished so much in a little less than a year.

And that left Albus, who was stuck in a rut. Sure, he had been made Head Boy, but that didn't help him decide on his future career. This one choice would determine his entire life, and he didn't have a single clue what he wanted to do.

After dinner, Albus managed to escape his family and their persistent career-related questions and made his way to the garden. He sat down on the unevenly trimmed grass, staring at the orchard he and his family used in order to play recreational games of Quidditch when they were younger. His father always used to tell him he'd make a fair Seeker, but he never found himself quite as dedicated as his brother, so he was never one to pursue the sport.

He was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't even notice when someone had taken a seat next to him. He had jumped in surprise when they had spoken, completely interrupting his train-of-thought.

"Wotcher," James said.

"Oh, James, didn't see you there," Albus croaked.

"A penny for your thoughts?" James asked.

"What's a penny?" Albus asked.

"Some sort of Muggle money, I suppose." James chuckled. "Heard it somewhere, just thought I'd use it. I'd've asked 'what's on your mind?' but it didn't sound as poetic." James shrugged.

"I didn't know you cared about poetics," Albus remarked.

"I admit it - I'm a frustrated writer," James quipped. "But I'm not who we're talking about here. What's troubling you, Al?"

"Everything." Albus laughed. "I never wanted to leave Hogwarts."

"Nor I," James said. "But it's inevitable, we all just need to accept it."

"Easy for you to say," Albus rebuked. "You already knew what you were going to do after school. I've no bloody clue!"

"Ah, but did I?" James said. "Al, I became a Quidditch player _precisely_ because I had no idea. My marks weren't abysmal, but they weren't brilliant, either. All I knew how to do was play Quidditch, and in an attempt to dodge more responsibility, I chose to continue playing Quidditch. I figured it was the easiest option, more than anything else."

"And was it?"

"Not at all. About two-hundred-percent harder than I'd expected it would be, and with much more responsibility than I thought as well. To be perfectly honest, if I didn't love Quidditch so much, I'd've quit ages ago." James chuckled. "You see what happened to Simmons? Could've happened to anyone who wasn't careful. I'm always at risk."

"You better watch out then," Albus warned. "I've already begun to gloat that you'll be playing for England next. Don't you fail me now!"

James guffawed.

Albus tried to laugh along with him, but he could only manage a few 'ha-has' before he gave up completely. His earlier worries were catching up to him, all the doubts and fears pin-balling in his head. An image of his elderly self entered his mind – a nightmarish looking hermit with ragged hair and tattered clothing, hiding in shame behind the Hog's Head counter.

James ruffled Albus' hair in the comforting big brother manner he always used to do when they were children.

"Rose _knows_ she'll be an Arithmancer," Albus told him.

"Bloody boring job if you ask me," James commented. "Perfect for Rosie, but don't tell her I said that," he whispered his last sentence.

"Scorp's already got Ministry jobs lined-up for him. Caitlyn's future career's already a given."

James nodded, urging him to continue.

"Zachary's going to be a Healer," Albus said. "Lysander's as lost as me for now, but I know he's going to be a Herbologist. He may not know monsters like his Great-Granddad, but he knows plants like the back of his hand."

"And so, where does that leave you?" James asked.

I shrugged. "Already told you. I'm as lost as Errol during a delivery."

"It's a miracle that ruddy owl's still alive." James sighed. Albus chuckled.

"Al," James said, his tone serious. His chocolate-brown eyes stared right into Albus' emerald-coloured ones. Albus was the only one who got their father's eyes. "You were Head Boy, weren't you?"

Albus nodded.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you were named after _two_ Hogwarts Headmasters?" James pointed out.

"Are you telling me to be a Headmaster?" Albus said. "I've never really seen myself as a very good teacher. I can get impatient."

James shrugged. "Be whatever you want to be. All I'm saying is that you're capable of great things – your name's a dead giveaway."

Albus smiled slightly.

James rubbed his knuckles brotherly on Albus' head. "Just keep your pecker up, lil' bro. And don't worry, growing up's hard on all of us."

"Feel free to owl me too. I'd very much enjoy getting letters that _aren't_ from those swooning fan-girls," James scoffed.

"You crave their attention."

"In moderation," he retorted.

James stood up and started making his way back inside.

"Hey, James!"

He spun on his heels and looked at Albus, his eyebrows arched.

"Thanks."

James shrugged. "Just don't forget me when you're Minister for Magic," James winked before marching back into the house.

"Albus Severus Potter, Minister for Magic," Albus muttered, and nodded his head in approval. "I could get used to that."

* * *

Hi everyone :) Well it's been a while. Would you believe it, back to writing after a year!

This story is going to be three chapters, all focusing on Albus and James going through the trials of growing up. I actually wrote this a while back and had written 2/3 chapters but got extremely busy... hence, I never got to finish nor upload it. But here it is! :) I will upload the other two chapters slowly, also because I'm still writing the final chapter.

Also, thank you to HorcruxFinder (www(**dot**)fanfiction(**dot**)net/u/1318241/HorcruxFinder) for letting me use her character, Caitlyn Wood from her wonderful story "For Entertainment Purposes Only" (www(**dot**)fanfiction(**dot**)net/s/6108763/1/For_Entertainment_Purposes_Only) which I highly recommend!

_McLovin'_,

Schoe B.


	2. Back

"Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone." - Jim Fiebig

* * *

_**Back**_

"James, stop it!" Ginny shouted from the passenger's seat.

James, who had been incessantly harassing his little brother, fell silent. His signature cheeky grin, however, remained plastered on his mischievous face. A tooth – his last baby tooth – had fallen out about a week ago, though it was hardly noticeable when he beamed at his irritated mother. He was a very proud thirteen-year-old, and he was fully aware of it. And the accomplishment of having no baby teeth left seemed to have made him even prouder. He persisted on harassing his little brother through whispers and inconspicuously nudging him with his elbow.

"_Tsssssss_," James hissed into Albus' ear, pretending to speak Parselmouth to further tax him. Albus had grown to deathly fear snakes ever since he was four-years-old and nearly got bit by one while playing in the swamps. In addition to this phobia, another fear Albus had developed was being sorted into Slytherin. And the fact that James was constantly poking at these particular fears was not helping the situation in the least.

Albus was seated beside James, his eyes shut tight as he forced back the tears. His hands were clamped over his ears as he loudly chanted "_la-la-la_" repeatedly in feeble attempts to drown his brother out. It wasn't too long ago when he had turned eleven and an owl had swooped in through the open window, dropping his Hogwarts letter on his half-finished pumpkin soup. Nothing but excitement filled him the past few months that were spent in preparation for this faithful day. Now, however, due to the constant pestering of his older brother, which began a week prior to the first of September, all his excitement had been replaced with anxiety and the ridiculous kinds of fears only an innocent child could think of.

Harry looked at the rear-view mirror and shook his head at his children. Lily was sitting next to the window, staring out moodily. On the opposite end, James was telling Albus about the (nonexistent) dragon he'd have to face in order to be sorted, making it a point to describe every little bit of the dragon with great detail, emphasising on its jagged teeth, three heads – two of which breathed fire, and a middle head that spat acid – and it's enormous wings that had poisonous tips.

"And if you lose, they'll sort you in the house you'd _least_ want to be in," James forced back sniggers as Albus yelped. "Which means its Slytherin for you –"

"James, didn't your mother tell you to stop picking on your little brother?" Harry said, his voice stern yet calm.

"I was just having a laugh," James defended.

"Well, I don't think Albus finds it very funny."

James crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

"Oh, and Al." Albus slowly lowered his hands and stared at the mirror, where a part of Harry's bespectacled eyes could be seen. The tears were still fresh in his eyes. "I promise you that you will not be facing a dragon."

Albus smiled slightly, but the anxiety still remained. He felt slightly better, but the threat of ending up in Slytherin still hung-over him, and it would not disappear until he was sorted otherwise.

The car grumbled as Harry slowly pulled it to a stop, the children trying their best not to jump off their seats and sprint all the way to King's Cross Station. Right when they heard the engines go silent, they pushed the doors open and leaped out off the car and into the pavement. James was bouncing, trying to yank the car's boot open. Albus, who was forced to remove his hands from his ears to carry both his and James' owls, meekly got off. The emotions were welling up inside of him so violently he felt woozy. Excitement and anxiety did not mix very well together.

After failing to lift it up with his measly thirteen-year-old strength, James took out his wand and pointed it at the boot. Upon seeing this, Ginny rushed to her son and grabbed his wand away. She tucked it back into his pocket.

"James, don't be so reckless," she admonished her son once more. "The Muggles will see," she reminded him. "And really, you're not even old enough to use magic outside of school." She walked over, and pushed the boot's door open with a _click_. James nearly jumped inside trying to retrieve all his belongings.

"James Sirius Potter, will you _calm down_," Harry said, having a hard time keeping the amusement from his voice. Before locking it, he helped heave all the trunks from the car – without having to resort to magic, like James would have preferred.

As soon as Harry had set the last of it down, James attacked his belongings and immediately began to drag them into the station. He was attempting to run at full-sprint, but with the extra weight he was trying to carry at the same time, he was not moving as fast as he'd like to. James' owl squawked in her cage as he passed by, startling an already nerve-wracked Albus, who nearly dropped both cages with a yelp.

James stopped in his tracks and watched as Albus fumbled to strengthen his grip on the two cages. He grinned and held his hand out. "I can take Pallas from you. She's my owl, anyway." Albus smiled and sighed, relieved as he handed Pallas' cage over to James. James scrunched up his nose and made a face at Albus. "Just hurry up and get your things, Al!" He lightly kicked Albus' shin and resumed walking ahead.

Shaking uncontrollably, Albus tightened his hold around his own owl's, Stephen's cage, to prevent it slipping away from his arms. Despite the constant rumbling and clanging of the metal due to Albus' trembling, Stephen the owl was fast asleep, hooting peacefully. Albus walked up to his mother, his head lay low, and his eyes focused on staring at the greyish tips of Stephen's feathers. Ginny stroked Albus' head affectionately.

"It's alright Al, you go ahead. Your father and I will take care of your things," Ginny told Albus, gingerly taking Stephen's cage from his grasp. As he let go, Albus' arms swung back groggily, and he heaved out a sigh. To reassure him, Ginny kissed the top of his head. Wrapping her free hand around his shoulders, Ginny bent down and whispered to him, "Everything will be fine, Albus. You will be an amazing wizard, regardless of your house."

Albus bit his lower lip and nodded sheepishly. He let out another sigh before following his brother into the station. Albus saw that James hadn't gotten very far before he stopped and began to huff, sitting on his trunk. Pallas' cage dropped on the floor with a _clunk_. A small smile tugged at Albus' lips as he took in the state of his brother. It was the cruel kind of satisfaction a young boy always got at his older brother's expense.

Harry had appeared beside Albus, the same kind of amusement painted on his face. He looked down at him and winked before making his way toward James. Albus heard Harry remind James that he would have had a much easier time moving his luggage if he'd used a trolley.

As he walked through King's Cross, excitement began to bubble inside of Albus once again. It began as a warm, fuzzy feeling in his stomach, and began to spread throughout his body, replacing the anxiety with exhilaration, and filling in every nook and cranny with exuberance. He was going to Hogwarts! _Hogwarts_! He burst into a grin a mile wide, and there was more of a skip in his steps. He almost felt like bursting into song, but settled with humming a quiet tune instead.

His sudden burst of euphoria, however, did not last. James had finally noticed Albus' goofy grin and, as if on cue, fell back so he was walking beside Albus to resume harassing him once more.

"I'm guessing from that idiotic smile you've got on," James began, his voice slightly louder than a whisper – it was enough for Albus to hear him, but soft so that his parents shouldn't suspect a thing, "you're finally accepting that you might be in Slytherin?" James smirked.

"I _won't_!" Albus cried. "I _won't_ be in Slytherin!"

"James, give it a rest!" Ginny shouted, frustrated that despite having told James countless times, he still refused to listen.

James shrugged, clearly unaffected by another admonishment. "I only said he _might_ be," he argued. He grinned cheekily at Albus. "There's nothing wrong with that. He _might_ be in Slyth –"

He stopped midsentence as his eyes found his mother's. James hated silence more than being screamed at and reprimanded. Silence meant that they'd had enough of telling you what to do, and that they'd just _let_ you fall on your face. At least with shouts, James was sure they cared. Silence scared him. But, being the boisterous thirteen-year-old that he was, he had shaken it off within minutes.

Upon approaching the barrier, James looked over his shoulder at Albus, his signature knee-jerking smirk back on his face. He took the trolley, stacked with his things, from Ginny. Keeping his eyes on the barrier, he took a deep breath, broke into a run, and disappeared into Platform 9¾.

Albus turned to his parents. "You'll write to me, won't you?" he wanted to know, taking advantage of his brother's absence, and therefore lack of snide remarks regarding his childish request.

"Every day, if you want us to," Ginny smiled warmly at her son.

"Not _every_ day," Albus spouted almost simultaneously. "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month," he added. The last thing he wanted was to be branded a "baby" or a "mama's boy" during his first year in Hogwarts. He wanted to be brave like his older brother and cousins, all of his uncles, and most especially, like his father. He wanted to become someone they would be proud of, not a pathetic wimp that everyone constantly denigrated.

"We wrote to James three times a week last year," Ginny told Albus.

"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry reassured his son even further. "He likes a laugh, your brother," he said, parroting James' earlier words.

Sandwiched in between his parents and comforted by their mere presence, Albus pushed his own trolley forward, slowly edging his way towards the barrier that would take him to Platform 9¾. He began to move his feet faster, building up speed as the barrier approached. He shut his eyes, holding his breath and wincing as he expected a collision, but it never came. He opened his eyes and beheld the sight that unfolded before him.

A thick white steam coming from the Hogwarts express loomed over Platform 9¾. Albus stared at the scarlet train that would take him to Hogwarts, awestruck. Several people passed, but they looked more like silhouettes within the mist. James was nowhere to be found.

Albus' eyes scanned over every figure that passed by him, bouncing on his feet anxiously. "Where are they?" he asked, the panic very distinct in his voice.

"We'll find them," his mother said. She placed a hand on Albus' back and lightly prodded him to keep moving forward.

Albus continually jerked his head back and forth, frustrated by how difficult it was to identify anyone's faces due to the density of the steam. He teetered on the balls of his feet, frazzled by the booming voices around them, and infuriated that he could not identify a single one. The last thing he wanted was to go on the train alone. He was afraid enough as it was, and he at least wanted his cousin to be there with him. She was his best friend, after all. The idea of journeying to Hogwarts without her made his breathing grow spasmodic.

_Where are they – where are they – where are they –_

"I think that's them, Al," Ginny said, tapping Albus' shoulder excitedly.

Standing alongside the very last carriage, Albus spotted four people in the distance, their familiar faces becoming more distinct as he approached them.

"Hi," Albus breathed, relief filling him upon seeing Rose. He choked back a laugh when he noticed she had already worn her Hogwarts robes.

Rose smiled at him, equally as thankful that she was finally with Albus.

"Where've you been?" Albus asked her, his tone slightly higher than he would have wanted. "I've been looking for you for _ages_."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Dad had a little bit of trouble starting the car, and almost had a row with the policeman since he was parked on top of the pavement when we finally reached the station," she explained. She pursed her lips. "Are you nervous?"

Albus forced a laugh. "No, of course not! I'm perfectly –"

Rose cocked an eyebrow at him. "_Really_, Albus?" she said matter-of-factly.

"Sod off, Rosie," he scoffed, but the traces of his smile were still slightly present. "I'm positively . . . scared out of my bloody mind."

"I'd like to believe that I couldn't say the same for myself, but I feel the _exact_ same way." She ruffled her already untameable red hair, which – in Albus' opinion – seemed to have become even brighter in contrast to her dark robes. Upon hearing Lily and Hugo's conversation regarding houses, Rose piped, "Have you thought about which house –"

"Don't even get me _started_," Albus scrunched up his nose. "James has been bullying me about it all week."

"Well, my dad's –" Rose started, but was interrupted when Ron slung an arm around her shoulders.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you. But no pressure," Ron said.

"_Ron!_" Hermione rebuked her husband. Rose had been losing sleep over the touchy subject, and the last thing Hermione wanted was for her to find another thing to worry about.

Lily and Hugo laughed light-heartedly, and Albus wanted to hex them – and he might've, had he known how to at that time.

_They're only laughing because they don't have to worry about it yet_, Albus sneered. They have two more years of merriment, and thinking up ridiculous fantasies about going to Hogwarts, so the worry of _actually_ being sorted was the last thing on their minds. But it was the first in Albus', and it was all he was worrying about, especially after Ron's joke about disinheritance.

"He doesn't mean it," Hermione and Ginny reassured their children, but it did little to help – the damage was already done.

"I'm going to be disinherited," Albus mumbled to himself.

"No, you _won't_," Rose told him. Albus didn't even realize she heard him.

"Yes, I will," Albus persisted. "I reckon I'll be sorted into Slytherin." He sighed.

"Speaking of Slytherin," Rose said. She nudged Albus and pointed at three people about fifty-yards away from them. "They look awfully familiar. Isn't that –"

Her father interrupted her once more. "So that's little Scorpius." Ron turned his attention to Rose, a wicked smile on his face. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains!"

"Ron, for heaven's sake," Hermione scolded her husband, but the amusement in her voice was very thinly veiled. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry," Ron apologized meekly. "Don't get _too_ friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood," he quickly added.

Hermione had her mouth opened to shout another "Ron!" but was distracted when she noticed a little figure was scampering towards them.

"Hey!"

Albus was surprised to find himself excited hearing the familiar tones of his older brother's voice. He thought it was more calming without James – not being constantly tormented had its benefits – but James' bellowing caused him to involuntarily let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding in.

There was a twinkle in James' eyes, and he bounced up and down excitedly. "Teddy's back there," he huffed out. He pointed over his shoulder to where he had come from. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? _Snogging Victoire!_" James exclaimed. He looked around at everyone's faces, perplexed by their reaction – or rather, their lack of one.

"_Our_ Teddy! _Teddy Lupin!_ Snogging _our_ Victoire! _Our_ cousin!" He spoke more loudly, and placing more emphasis in his words to gather a livelier response from his family. "And I asked Teddy what he was doing –"

"You interrupted them?" Ginny said, aghast at her son's attitude toward invading a couple's privacy. "You are _so_ like Ron –" she rolled her eyes.

James, however, didn't seem to notice her and continued to speak in an even louder voice. "– and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's _snogging_ her!" James repeated just to make sure he was clear enough.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" Lily whispered, giggling. "Teddy would _really_ be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week. Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?" Harry suggested jokingly.

"Yeah!" James burst eagerly. "I don't mind sharing with Al – Teddy could have my room!"

"No," Harry said almost immediately, keeping his voice very firm. "You and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."

Albus' eyes found the old watch his father always kept with him as he took it out. It was battered, and dented up in several places, but it was priceless. When he was a little boy, he used to sit on his father's lap and listen to the ticking of the watch until he fell asleep.

_Tick tock tick tock._

The familiar sound echoed in his mind.

_Tick tock tick tock_

It was overwhelming how fast time passed.

_Tick tock tick tock._

"It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board," Harry said.

"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Ginny ordered James as she pulled him into a hug.

"Mum!" James piped. "I can't give a professor _love_!" he told her, looking scandalised by her absurd request.

"But you _know_ Neville –"

James shook his head as he rolled his eyes at his mother. "Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him _love_ . . . " James drawled. _This happens _every_ time_, James vented in his mind.

He spotted Albus, who was staring mindlessly at the Hogwarts Express, lost in the fog-covered scarlet of the train. Smirking, he kicked Albus' bottom and sniggered. "See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals!" he joshed.

"I thought they were invisible?" Albus squeaked, the images of the skull-like horses he'd seen in books appearing in his mind. The worry was all-over his face more perspicuously. "_You said they were invisible!_" he cried.

James' guffawed mirthfully. Shaking her head, Ginny planted a kiss on his cheek, and Harry swiftly hugged him. His tongue was creeping out of his mouth's corner as he leaped back onto the train, waving fleetingly at his family before disappearing into the corridors.

"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry turned his attention to Albus, who had begun to bite his lower lip nervously upon being razzed by his brother about something else. Harry smiled at his son. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."

Ginny bent down and gave Albus a goodbye kiss. "See you at Christmas," she said.

"Bye, Al," Harry wrapped his arms around his son in an embrace. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday," he began reminding his son. It was hard to believe that another one of his boys was growing up. "Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you've learned how. And _don't_ let James wind you up," he added.

Albus looked up at his father, tears starting to form at the edges of his eyes. He quickly wiped them away. "What if I'm in Slytherin?" he whispered. He was about to leave, and the fear had become even greater than ever before. He had to tell his father, all else forgotten; he needed to hear what his father, his hero, had to say.

Harry crouched down so his face was level with Albus'. Harry stared into his son's eyes – eyes that were inherited from his own mother. "Albus Severus," he breathed, his voice clear only to Albus and Ginny. "You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"But _just_ say –" Albus began to argue. He wanted his father to deny the possibility of him ending up in Slytherin. He needed to hear it from his mouth.

"- then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it?" Harry arched his eyebrows and smiled slightly. "It doesn't matter to us, Al." He made sure to say, knowing that Albus was worrying about being disinherited. "But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin." Harry beamed at his son. "The _Sorting Hat_," he emphasised, making sure that Albus didn't continue to think he would be facing James' fictional dragon, "takes your choice into account."

"Really?" Albus' mile-wide grin was back. He remembered the Sorting Hat – one of his older cousins had mentioned that was how students got sorted, but with James constantly hissing nonsense into his ear, he wasn't sure what to believe. His father's reassurance, however, helped him feel more at ease.

He _wouldn't_ have to face a three-headed dragon. He _had_ a choice.

Harry's voice dropped into a softer whisper, making Albus hold on to his every single word. "It did for me."

Albus' eyes widened. He didn't think it was possible, but his smile seemed to grow even wider. Admiration for his father spread all across his face.

His father was a hero, and Albus wanted to be _just_ like him when he grew up.

Hearing the distant slamming of the doors, and finding parents rushing forward to say their last goodbyes left and right, Albus jumped into the last carriage, and he heard the door shut behind him. He turned back to his father, bewilderment and admiration still shining in his eyes. Looking around, he saw several people – be it on and off the train – do the same.

"Why are they all _staring_?" Albus demanded. He and Rose craned their necks and peered at the other students all around them.

"Don't let it worry you," Ron winked. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

And for the first time that week, Albus found himself genuinely laughing. He felt the wind in his face as the train began to pick up speed. The horn blasted in the distance as the Hogwarts Express began to depart from the station. He watched as his father continued to wave and run with the train until it rounded a corner, and he was but a little speck in the distance.

Albus' grin had never left his face – he was going to _Hogwarts_, he was really, _finally_ going!

Along with Rose, Albus began to waddle through the hallways, scanning around for an empty compartment. One of the doors slid open and a head with a mop of blonde curls appeared from inside the cabin. Lysander Scamander broke into a grin and began to wave maniacally at Albus and Rose, demanding their attention.

"Albus! Rosie! Over here!" he shouted.

Albus smiled as he spotted Lysander, who bustled out of the compartment to help him and Rose carry their luggage.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you," Albus whispered as he walked in beside Lysander.

"'Course! I wouldn't expect any less," Lysander winked cockily.

Albus rolled his eyes. Lorcan, Lysander's twin brother stood up from his seat and assisted in hoisting up the trunks.

"It's times like these I wish I was taller," Lysander remarked as he nearly fell from the seat he had stood up on for leverage. He jumped off and took a seat across his brother near the window.

Albus sat next to him. Rose followed and had seated beside Lorcan.

"I can't believe this is happening," Rose breathed as she stared out the window, her brown eyes constantly moving as it followed the passing scenery. "I almost thought this day was never going to come."

"What's the first thing you want to do when you get there?" Lorcan asked excitedly. "I mean, besides being Sorted and stuff."

Lysander waved his hand dismissively, a smug expression painted on his face. "Definitely check out the Whomping Willow."

Lorcan scrunched his eyebrows. "Why in the world –"

"It's a tree that smacks anyone within a three-metre radius of it," Lysander pointed out. "It's cool."

"Sometimes, I wonder whether you're adopted," Lorcan said. "And I realize that we're twins, and I'm _definitely_ not adopted . . . so I just settle for you having a brain malfunction."

"Just because you read a lot more books than I do," Lysander rebutted, "doesn't mean you can use all this fancy talk on me."

"It's not fancy talk when it's the truth," Albus teased, sticking his tongue out as he did so.

Lysander scowled, smacking the back of Albus' head and lunging as he attempted to do the same to his brother, but Lorcan dodged him.

"Bet you all feel so clever," Lysander scoffed.

"Yes, as a matter-of-fact, we do," Albus chuckled.

Lysander stuck his tongue out disdainfully. "I hope you all rot in Ravenclaw!"

"There's nothing wrong with being in Ravenclaw. And besides, just because someone can say clever things doesn't automatically mean they belong in Ravenclaw, Lysander," Rose replied.

Lysander waved his hand dismissively.

Albus heard the sound of creaking wheels from beyond the doors, accompanied by a voice shouting out the names of Albus' favourite treats. A plump witch appeared and stuck her head inside the compartment, a smile on her face.

"Anything, dears?" the sweet old Honeydukes witch asked, her voice sounding like a loud whisper. "I've got everything from Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and Jelly Slugs to Liquorice Wands and Pumpkin Pasties!"

"D'you have Cauldron Cakes?" Lysander asked.

"Which flavour would you want – chocolate, mint, butterscotch –"

"Oh, butterscotch, please," Lysander said, simultaneously digging into his pockets for spare change.

The old witch handed over a tiny bag filled with a few small bumps. Lysander took it with glee, immediately reaching into the bag and stuffing his face.

"Anything else, my dears?" she looked around the room.

"D'you have any Chocolate Frogs?" Albus asked.

"A sickle each," she replied.

"I'll have one then," Albus said, handing over a sickle for a Chocolate Frog.

The Honeydukes witch beamed at them one last time before closing the compartment doors and continued on through the hallways.

"Open it, Al! I want to see who you get," Rose pestered.

"Hold on," Albus hissed. "I can't open it too fast or I'll lose the frog." Albus surgically peeled the box open, already preparing a hand to catch the frog. On cue, as soon as Albus had completely unsealed the box, the frog leaped out – however, into Albus' hand. Victorious, Albus stuffed it into his mouth.

Everyone's eyes were on Albus, urging him to flip over the card. Chewing, he complied and flipped the card over, only to find the gleaming face of his father staring up at him from the surface. He stuffed it into his pocket before speaking up.

"Do I even have to say it?" Albus chuckled and stuck his tongue out.

After a moment of silence, Rose immediately spoke up and began asking the twins about the kind of wands they had. Albus stopped listening after he heard 13-inches of mahogany. He slipped his hand into his pocket, and began running his fingers around the edges of the card nervously.

He hated seeing his dad's Chocolate Frog card. It was like a constant reminder that his father had accomplished such amazing things. Sure, Albus was extremely proud of him, and took pride in being the son that resembled him the most, but he felt like the greatness was starting to take a toll on his already nerve-wracked eleven-year-old body. His father had done things that were monumental even in the wizarding world – what could he do?

"I've to go to the loo." Albus stood up slowly, meekly excusing himself from the compartment. He tried to smile as he left, but it felt forced. He just hoped they didn't notice the worry etched all over is face.

Keeping his head down, Albus walked through the hallways and headed to the toilet, despite his lack of need for it. He watched his feet as they landed on the red carpet, absorbed in his movements.

"Al!" A familiar boisterous voice brought Albus back from his reverie. He looked up at his older brother, who smacked his back brotherly. "I was just looking for you."

"Hm?" Albus said, still rather dazed.

James lifted what looked like a silvery piece of cloth from behind him and handed it to Albus, quickly bunching it up in his hands.

"Dad wanted me to give this to you," James said. "You better not lose it."

"What's this?" Albus asked.

James shrugged. "Let's just say . . . it's something that'll be extremely useful for you, especially during your first year."

James turned around slightly, about to leave, when he faced Albus again. He moved forward and gave his brother a quick hug. "It doesn't matter to me which house you're in," he whispered, "you'll always be my brother." The edge of James' lips tugged slightly into a lopsided grin before kicking the back of Albus' legs and running off.

Albus stared at the blurring image of his brother, disappearing as he ran farther, and then at the silvery piece of cloth now bundled in his arms. He held it tighter as he turned back around to his compartment, James' words continuously echoing in his mind.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter! I put in actual quotes from the book so that the story seemed more realistic, and also so that this chapter could be like the "missing gaps" that you didn't get from J.K. Rowling's epilogue.

I really enjoyed this one because it was fun writing out James and Albus as children. It was also fun to introduce the Scamander twins (I love Lysander, he is so ridiculous). If you're wondering why Scorpius and Zachary weren't there, Albus only meets Scorpius after he gets sorted into Slytherin, and he meets Zachary in Third Year during detention.

Also, James' owl, Pallas, is named after the Greek god Athena whose sacred animal is an owl. Albus' owl, Stephen, on the other hand, is just named after this rugby player I used to have a huge crush on... Hehehe.

Anyway, tell me what you think! Reviews are rewarded with milk and cookies :)

Love,

Schoe


	3. Home

"Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

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_**Home**_

Returning to the Burrow had never been so bittersweet to Albus. He tossed away their portkey – a battered hiking boot – into a nearby bush before taking the hands of his wife and daughter. The collar of his dishevelled shirt stood up, but Albus paid it no mind. Taking a deep breath, he forced back tears. His eyes were blinking uncontrollably, but he shook it off and held his wife's hand tighter.

"Albus," Caitlyn looked at her husband. She was wearing a simple black dress, still wrinkled in the nooks the rushed ironing spells didn't reach. "It's perfectly fine if you cry, you know," she said, her tone a mixture of sympathy and admonishment.

"I know," Albus croaked. He cleared his throat and repeated what he said, but his voice – or lack thereof – remained the same.

"Well, let's go then," Caitlyn tugged Albus forward, her eyes focused on her pallid husband.

Albus nodded silently. He tottered skittishly before finally leading his family toward the Burrow. As they approached the front steps, Albus' daughter, Evie, tightened her clasp around her father's hand. Albus smiled as he felt the warmth of his daughter's hand comforting him. He glanced at her. She was wearing a dress similar to her mum's with a black ribbon pinned on her hair. Evie had grown almost two inches from last year and she was getting prettier everyday.

Albus sighed. _Times really are changing._

"Albus?" Caitlyn breathed.

"Right," Albus spoke. He led his family up the steps to the front door. Little Evie moved forward and knocked three times.

His mother answered the door.

"Albus, Caitlyn, you're here," Ginny smiled, her voice tired and strained. She looked down at Evie and giggled, "And there's my little Evie!" Ginny swooped down and hoisted her granddaughter up. "I'll take Evie to her cousins. Everyone else is out back." Ginny stepped aside to let the couple in before carrying Evie upstairs.

Their hands still entwined, Albus and Caitlyn made their way outside. A giant white tent was set up, and underneath was a crowd of their closest friends and family, a sea of black lying very still. The couple walked forward. Heads turned to their direction, smiling and nodding their silent condolences as they passed. Albus only slightly acknowledged them. After dashing through strings of people ambling towards them, whispering their sympathies and support, they reached the front row where their family was seated. His father and uncle Ron stood up to meet them.

"Albus, Caitlyn," Harry said, hugging them both in greeting.

"Glad you could be here," Ron said, lightly squeezing Albus' shoulder.

"We're . . . " Albus coughed. His throat was suddenly dry.

Caitlyn anxiously glanced at her husband. "We're sorry for your loss," she said, finishing Albus' sentence.

"It's alright," Ron chuckled. "Mum was getting pretty ancient anyway," he joked.

Caitlyn timidly smiled. The edges of Albus lips moved slightly, but he remained frozen.

"Rose's at the end of the row, with your friends," Harry said, turning his head toward their direction.

Albus nodded and shuffled away, Caitlyn following behind him.

As they neared the row, Rose stood up as she saw them. "Oh, Albus!" she ran forward and hugged her cousin. She smiled as she saw Caitlyn and greeted her the same way. As she pulled away, she discreetly wiped a tear from her eye before forcing another smile. "Where are Evie and the twins?"

"Ginny took her to the other kids," Caitlyn explained. "The twins, on the other hand, are with my parents. We felt it would've been too much if we brought them – they're getting a bit rambunctious." She smiled a bit.

"That's what you get when you name them after Fred and George Weasley," Scorpius joked as he greeted Caitlyn. "Good to see you mate . . . my family sends their condolences," he said, patting Albus' back.

Albus merely nodded. Scorpius pursed his lips and inserted his hands in his pocket, trying to figure out the best way to talk to his downhearted best friend.

They headed for their seats at the end of the row. Zachary, Lysander and his twin Lorcan, who were already seated when they arrived, stood up to greet them.

"My folks are here somewhere," Lysander said. "They . . . well . . . just, if you want to come over for dinner anytime you want, you can . . . I mean, with my parents, like when we were kids . . . I'm not sure if you want to be with my wife all that much, not that my wife is bad or anything but . . . it's just—"

"Ly," Albus interrupted, resting a hand on Lysander's shoulder. "Thank you for coming." Albus smiled and looked at all of his friends, noticing the concern etched in their aging eyes. "Thanks to all of you. It . . . it means a lot."

"We're practically family, Al," Zachary smiled awkwardly, arching his bristly eyebrows. "You were always there for me . . . for all of us," Zachary paused and glanced at their entire group, "And you can be _sure_ we'll do the same for you."

And for the first time in days, as he stood there chatting with the same group of friends who had gotten him through Hogwarts, Albus was smiling. For a moment, he felt a considerable weight lift off his shoulders, as if his friends were sharing some of his burden. In one fleeting moment, all the pain and heartbreak was slowly being flushed by a sudden burst of strength and warmth. This, however, could not last forever. The oldest Weasley, Bill, stepped onto the platform and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. Everybody took their seats and faced him, silence spreading quickly throughout the tent. He took out a crumpled piece of paper, and after casting a quick _Sonorus _spell, began to speak.

"Molly Weasley was unlike any other," Bill said. "She was a strong woman, a great witch, a loving wife, and the greatest mother I, or anyone, could have asked for." Albus couldn't hear the rest of his speech. He watched him, his gaze never averting from Bill's spot on the platform, but his ears could hear no sound. He felt his eyes begin to water and he pressed them together, not wanting to let others see how broken he truly was. He felt Caitlyn's hand slip discreetly into his, holding on tightly without looking at him.

Only the sound of clapping broke Albus' reverie. He disentangled his hand from Caitlyn's and quickly began to clap.

"Cate," Albus leaned in to his wife and whispered. "I think I'll take a walk outside."

Caitlyn looked at him. His eyes were blinking profusely, constantly trying to keep the tears from falling. She smiled and nodded. Albus furtively stood up, keeping his back hunched in an attempt to be inconspicuous. Looking at no one as he left, he nearly ran to the front door. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh as he heard the door close behind him.

Albus took one step until he spotted someone standing at the bottom of the porch. James turned around and beamed at him. His black shirt was carelessly folded until his elbows and loosely tucked in, and his hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in days. He bounded towards Albus, his hands in his pockets.

"Wotcha, Albus," he said, his voice much softer than usual.

"What're you doing outside?" Albus wanted to know.

"Same reason as you, I suppose," he shrugged. "Come on," he turned around, signalling Albus to follow.

Albus jogged slightly, making his way next to James. The two walked alongside each other, not saying a word but knowing exactly where to go. They had reached the end of the street when James decided to break the silence.

"Heard you got it," James said.

"Got what?"

"The letter." James looked up at the sky.

"Oh, that. Who told you?" Albus chuckled.

"Saw it in the Daily Prophet because my little brother forgot to tell me," James teased. "Merlin's beard, Al, you're going to be Minister for Magic soon," he nearly shouted.

"I . . . I couldn't believe it either," Albus breathed, the moment the Ministry owl had gambolled in during breakfast and dropped the letter playing in his head, clear as day. "I thought it was a joke."

"Believe me, when I read it in the papers, so did I," James guffawed.

Albus shook his head, quietly laughing as well. "How's managing England's Quidditch team treating you?"

"I think the better question would be," James paused, "how am _I_ treating England's Quidditch team."

"Merlin, James, now I'm afraid to ask," Albus jested.

"Relax, Al, I'm not torturing them or anything," James chortled. "Just something close to it."

"It's people like you that make me glad I don't play Quidditch," Albus said.

"No, it's all the laps that make you glad you don't play Quidditch," James replied.

"And it's the muscles and lack of love handles that make me regret I don't." Albus sighed.

"We're old, it's perfectly fine if we're fat," James pointed out.

"First off, we're not _that_ old, just getting there," Albus protested. "And second, I am _not_ fat!"

"Right," James discreetly poked Albus' stomach. "Just getting there."

"Honestly!" Albus shouted.

"I'm just having a laugh, Al, don't worry about it," James nudged Albus before howling with laughter.

Albus shook his head but couldn't help chuckling as well. "I feel sorry for Tilly and the kids. They have to deal with you twenty-four-seven."

James feigned indignation. "I'll have you know that my wife thinks my jokes are _brilliant_! And the kids will learn to love them too."

"James . . . just stick to Quidditch," Albus patted his brother's back.

"Har-har, you think you're all clever now that you're going to be Minister for Magic, don't you?" James scoffed.

"Actually, yes," Albus smirked. "I do think I'm quite clever."

"If that's what you want," James chuckled. "You're still just my little brother," he teased.

"I know," Albus scrunched his nose at James before looking down at his feet.

They slowed down their pace, silence overcoming them once more. James pointed at a bench nearby. Albus nodded, and without another word, they ambled towards it, the wood creaking under their weight as they took a seat.

"James," Albus said, his eyes focused on the empty street before him. He watched as a breeze scattered the yellowing leaves higgledy-piggledy on the crumbling pavement.

"Hm?" James leaned back, moving the entire bench with his sudden movement.

"I can't believe she died," Albus said, the words feeling so foreign in his mouth. "I can't believe Grandma Molly's dead." The acknowledgement broke him with every word, but he had to voice it – it was eating him up inside.

James had not expected the sudden confession. He nearly jumped out of his seat as he leaned forward, his arms resting limply on his knees. The previous joviality that had surrounded James just moments ago was finally unmasked by that one declaration. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Nonplussed, he chuckled nervously as he turned to Albus.

"Neither can I," he breathed, raking his hands through his unevenly tamed hair. "Frankly," he added, "I'm not over Grandpa's death yet either."

A smile tugged at Albus' lips. "I thought I was the only one." The knowledge that even his older brother – his strong and heroic older brother – was as damaged as he was, reassured Albus. He was not weak. Neither was James. They were both just _human_.

"How long has it been, three years?" James looked up in recollection.

"Thereabouts," Albus said.

James sighed – a breath so immense it was as if he had been holding it in for months, even years. "I guess . . . they're in a better place now," he said, his voice sounding detached from his words.

Albus looked at James, whose eyes were getting glassy from the forming tears. "You can cry if you want to," he parroted Caitlyn's earlier words, his voice cracking as he gazed at his brother.

"I could say the same for you," he said, chuckling as he unconsciously blinked his eyes. Albus pursed his lips as he looked at James.

"We're going to be okay, Al," James told Albus. "We're going to be okay . . . " he repeated through a whisper, as if he was trying to convince himself more than anyone that it was true.

"I know," Albus murmured so inaudibly he wasn't sure if James had heard him.

The pair sat there in comfortable silence, with only the sounds of the gentle breeze and the bench creaking under their weight interrupting it.

"Why is this so noisy?" James commented, bouncing up and down his seat.

"It's old, James," Albus sniggered. "_Like us_."

"Well, I don't know about _you_," James announced, "But _I've_ never creaked in my entire life."

James continued to bounce up and down his seat, mumbling, "_I didn't know wood could be this creaky,"_ as he did so. Albus just watched him curiously, not seeing a middle-aged man with a wife and four kids, but his overweening twelve-year old brother.

"Sometimes I feel like _I'm_ the older one from the two of us," Albus quipped.

"Yeah?" James piped as he slowly stopped bouncing. "You _look_ like the older one too," James winked, flashing his signature smile.

Albus punched James before turning away, trying to stifle his laughter. James shouted an exaggerated "_Owww!_" as he rubbed his shoulder.

"D'you reckon we should head back now?" Albus asked James, who was still rubbing his 'injured' shoulder. "How long have we been out here?"

"I've no idea what time it is, Al," James said. "I never actually learned how to properly read a watch."

Albus shook his head, now smiling more than he had this morning. He stood up and looked around, noticing the rusted streetlamps flickering on one by one. Yellowish light now surrounded them as the sun began to set. James followed Albus' lead and stood up as well, causing the weathered bench to creak one final time. He lifted his arms up, making odd sounds as he stretched.

They were side-by-side once more as they walked down the path that would lead them back. James had taken each opportunity to badger Albus – whether with pokes, tripping him, or telling him that he would be the worst Minister for Magic in history and the world would split in half because of his incompetence. Albus, having learned how to compose himself around his brother, did not react to his petty attempts, however giving in slightly when James had touched on the subject of him becoming Minister for Magic.

"James, would you please –" Albus said, trying his best not to aim a Bat-Bogey hex at him.

James guffawed. "Merlin, I missed that."

"Missed _what_ exactly?" Albus exclaimed.

"This," James sniggered. He spread his arms around as he looked at Albus, arching his eyebrows mischievously.

They continued to walk, James still bursting into fits of laughter. He hit Albus amidst his laughter with more force than he had intended. Albus stumbled forward unsteadily under the blow. The pair turned the corner and recognition dawned on Albus.

"James," he said, nudging his older brother.

James took a few spasmodic breaths before ceasing his laughter. He looked around before smiling from ear to ear.

The two stood by an old street sign, the name 'Ottery St.' nearly chipped off the rusted metal.

"Remember when we used to race to decide on everything?" Albus said, his words coming out light and childish. A smile as wide as his brother's was creeping onto his face as he excitedly waited for James' response.

"'Course!" James laughed. "We'd start from this corner," he walked over and pointed at a particular spot near them. "And then we'd sprint all the way back home," he explained, drawing an invisible line in the air from the corner to the direction of the Burrow with his finger. "Of course, I always beat you," James winked.

"Yeah?" Albus asked, his mouth forming a lopsided grin.

Without another word, Albus ran forward, as fast as his body would let him. After a few seconds, after he had registered what had happened, James sprinted after his brother, refusing to let him win despite Albus' massive head start. James reached out and made a grab for Albus' shirt, attempting to pull it back so he would be ahead. Albus dodged it and forced himself to run even faster.

_And in that moment, we weren't adults lost in the world._

Albus turned around to see James – his eyebrows were scrunched up in concentration, but his lips stretched into a smile as he tried to catch up. Albus looked forward again, laughing as he realized how ridiculous they probably looked.

_We were children, who played, who answered back, who goofed off instead of working._

James attempted to reach out again, and this time, he had successfully grabbed on to Albus' shirt. He pulled it back but lost his balance as he did so, causing them both to crash onto the ground.

James, who had landed on top of Albus, got up with a groan. He patted the dirt off his clothes. A part of James' shirt was un-tucked. Albus sat up from the ground, dizzy from the sudden impact. James held out his hand and helped his brother up.

The pair turned their heads toward the Burrow, where they could hear familiar voices calling out to them. James gave Albus a final kick in the bottom before jogging toward the old house. Albus smiled, a slight bounce accompanying his steps as he followed James.

_Children who, no matter how far we've gone, always founds our way back home._

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And that concludes From the Corner of Ottery St. Catchpole! But before I officially end it, a _few_ explanations:

- When Albus was back at Hogwarts, he and Scorpius were in Slytherin, Lysander was in Gryffindor, and Rose, Zachary and Lorcan were in Ravenclaw (Lorcan was never part of their group though). And of course, James was in Gryffindor, along with Lily and Hugo. Rose and Scorpius got together between Sixth and Seventh Year (Ron was NOT happy haha)

- Albus has three kids: Ginevra Lillian (Evie) is 7 years old, the twins Fredrick Billius (Freddy) and Georgia Katherine (Georgia) are 3 years old. Evie was named after Ginny and Lily, Freddy was named after Fred and Ron, Georgia was named after George and Katie Bell (Reminder: she is Caitlyn's mom)

- James' wife (yes I made a whole background story for her when I decided her name, sue me haha) is Matilde "Tilly" MacFarlan, and she is the descendant of the Quidditch player Hamish MacFarlan, who was the previous captain of the Montrose Magpies. She met James in Hogwarts because she was part of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She and James have four kids I got too lazy to think of names for. Their youngest is a baby a year younger than Freddy and Georgia

- Rose and Scorpius got married (obviously). Rose is an Arithmancer, while Scorpius is the head of some important Ministry office. They have two unnamed kids

- Lysander went off to write this book about how the magical herbs that certain magical creatures eat contribute to their distinct abilities and features - kind of an amalgamation of Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. He also married this Spanish señorita he met during his travels. He has three kids. Their second born is the same age as Evie. He and Albus are neighbors

- Zachary decided he didn't want to be a Healer, so he went back to teach Charms at Hogwarts and replaced Flitwick as the head of Ravenclaw. He is married with one child

- Lorcan did something, married someone, and has two kids that are NOT twins!

- Arthur died a year before Freddy and Georgia were born, which means Molly died four years after

- The three chapter of this story put together are "Going Back Home" :)

Okay, so that officially concludes this three-part story of growing up! I'm really awkward with endings so I don't really know how to go about this. The final chapter was considerably shorter and much more difficult to write than the other two, mostly because of the funeral scene (IT WAS SO HARD TO BE UNHAPPY) and the fact that this chapter was the final one so it had to have some sort of resolution. I had fun thinking of baby names and "future's" for all of them though! It was a bit harder for me to write out Albus and James because I had to make them mature somehow, especially James, because even if he is immature, he is still a middle aged man. I hope I wrote it out well enough, though :)

Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed watching these kiddies grow up as much as I did! I feel like such a mother (hahaha).

**REVIEW** and tell me what you think :) you will be rewarded with poptarts especially delivered to you by Errol (who is still alive, by the way, if barely)

Forever and Always,

Schoe B. :)

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Also, here's my playlist for this story:

- "Boston" by Augustana

- "Sunday" Best by Augustana

- "Fantasy" by My American Heart

- "Come On Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson

- "How To Save A Life" by The Fray


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